Uganda charges, jails academic for insulting the president

KAMPALA, Uganda – A prominent academic in Uganda has been remanded to a maximum-security prison after being charged with insulting the president.

Stella Nyanzi, a research fellow at Uganda's Makerere University, was charged with cyber harassment and offensive communication Monday. She denied the charges and said President Yoweri Museveni is a "dishonorable" man who had "offended the people of Uganda."

Nyanzi is popular on Facebook for her relentless criticism of Museveni, who has ruled since 1986.

The charge sheet said Nyanzi had referred to Museveni as "a pair of buttocks" in one of her Facebook posts.

The case against Nyanzi is being widely followed in this East African country where few people dare to criticize the first family in bold terms.